What Each Button in the Visual Editor Toolbar Does

A plain tour of the Visual Editor toolbar: paragraph style, bold, italic, underline, alignment, lists, indent, link, QR, pictures, emoji, font, color and undo.

The Visual Editor is where you write and format your book. Font, size, color and line height apply to whatever text is currently selected, the same as in any word processor.

The Writing Studio toolbar with the Visual Editor and Page Preview switch, the action buttons and the formatting toolbar.

What are the Visual Editor and Page Preview?

Above the toolbar there are two choices. Visual Editor is where you write and format your text. Page Preview shows exactly how the finished page will look in the printed book, using the real print layout, not an approximation. Write and format in the Visual Editor, then check the layout in Page Preview.

The formatting toolbar described below belongs to the Visual Editor.

What is on the toolbar, from left to right?

Paragraph style (¶): A narrow dropdown for styling a line within the body text: ¶ normal, H3, H4 or ❝ blockquote. See Which heading levels can I use?.
Bold, Italic and Underline.
Text alignment: Left, center, right and justify. These also align a selected picture or QR code.
Bullet and numbered lists.
Indent and Outdent: Shifts a paragraph right or back. This is a plain visual shift, unrelated to the blockquote (❝), which is a real styled quote.
Link: Add a web link. See How do I add a link?.
QR code insert.
Image upload (the paperclip): See How to Add Images and ALT Text.
Emoji picker (🙂): Opens a searchable grid of the full real emoji set. See How do I add emoji?.
Font family dropdown.
Font size dropdown: It goes up to 96, so an emoji or symbol can be made larger.
Text color picker: Click the color swatch to open a full gradient and hue picker with a hex code field and saved favorite colors.
Line height dropdown.
Undo and Redo: At the far right end of the toolbar.

What changes on a phone?

On a phone the formatting toolbar is one row that swipes sideways and stays pinned at the top while the page scrolls. A small ‹ › arrow at the edge shows whenever there are more buttons that way. Tap it or just swipe. The Undo and Redo buttons are not shown on phones, to save room. They are on desktop and tablets. See Can I use the Writing Studio on a phone or tablet?.

Where are Proofread, Section Editor, Writing Coach and Authority Audit?

They are four action buttons shown right next to the Visual Editor and Page Preview tabs, not in the formatting toolbar. They appear in the Visual Editor only. See Proofread, Section Editor, Writing Coach and Authority Audit.

Not sure where to start? The Course Coach inside the app guides you through each step, so you are never stuck on a button.

Heading Levels Available in the Writing StudioUse H3 and H4 for sub-headings inside your text. H1 and H2 are created for you from your chapter and section titles.How to Add Emoji to Your Book in the Writing StudioClick the smiley button in the toolbar, search by meaning and click an emoji to insert it. Emoji print as real color emoji in your PDF.How to Add a Link in the Writing StudioClick the Link button, then type or paste the web address and add display text if you like. The https:// part is added for you.How to Add Images and ALT Text in the Writing StudioAdd a picture to your book, choose its size and alignment, write the ALT text Amazon KDP asks for, and let the studio prepare it for print.

Last checked in the app: October 14, 2026.

Still Need Help?

Inside the app, the Course Coach answers your questions and guides you step by step. You can also write to us and we will get back to you.

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